POLITICS - YES OR NO?

Christianity Today likes to talk about the perils of politics in the pulpit. Frankly, I get nervous when the left or the right is overly political from the pulpit.  The funny thing, in black churches, there has been active campaigning and partisan political activity forever, and I do not see Christian publications alarmed about it.  Since most of it is for leftists with anti-God policies, it would seem if there is to be an objection, it would be campaigning for people who oppose the faith you profess to believe rather than those who advance ideas more consistent with our faith whether they be Christians or not. However, in a worship service in church, I find it distasteful for any overly political commentary to be presented, even when I agree with it.  I do advocate people being informed, however, and sharing with their friends, as not everyone is tuned in to what is happening.

The argument for being political in the pulpit, of course, is that a significant number of Christians are woefully ignorant of the issues and what is actually going on that will impact their church and their lives as Christians.  There is a brutal and unrelenting war against Christians today in the United States and elsewhere seeking to remove all conscience, all rights, and to force them to hire people whose only goal is to destroy their message.  Of course, the perpetrators of this never allow this in their own organizations. Name an LGBTQP... group that would hire a Biblical Christian for ANY position in their organization whose goal would be to subvert their message and neutralize it. I thought so.

Nonetheless, it is telling that while Jesus made some politically charged comments from time to time, and he lived in a day where it could have taken 100% of his time given the evils of the day, that was not at all his focus, and he would not have been crucified for anything he said by the Romans.  He was crucified ONLY because the Jewish religious leaders totally rejected him as the only begotten Son of God. Jesus' ventures in politics were primarily calling out the corrupt religious system with only scattered comments on secular leaders.

Time spent talking partisan politics to the church takes away from Bible teaching which is sorely needed for a largely Biblically illiterate church. In actuality, if one preaches the Bible in power, most people will come to the correct political conclusions on their own. Those who preach a compromised gospel usually produce people on the wrong side of God in their political views as well. I met a pastor whose church was in pre-foreclosure. He was a black pastor of an inter-ethnic church who strove to avoid partisan politics and simply preach the Bible. Those on the left interpreted his MORAL teachings as being against them, which while not intended had that affect since the left rejects the Bible and all morality stemming from it. They blew up the church with tried and true divide and conquer tactics and a Bible-teaching church in a mixed community in the Philadelphia suburbs with a very nice setting and building had to be sold.

My personal approach is to steer clear of overt politics when I preach from the pulpit, though by preaching the Bible, some of what I say will naturally have consequences with those who reject God's standards and God's ways. I teach the Bible verse-by-verse on the radio and have for many years and let the chips fall where they may. 

That said, I also have a radio program with messages based upon current events, and those tend to emphasize differences with clear political overtones between the world system and the Kingdom of God.  I have written and been published many times in diverse media on politics for well over 55 years and have been a guest on talk radio and on TV on programs with strong political overtones.  I also have a long-running political blog separate from this one called Avoiding Political Deception. (There is link if you look in my profile). Occasionally I put the same post on both, but that is really quite rare. This blog is intended for people of varying beliefs though if those beliefs are in opposition to the scriptures, they may still take issue with what is said.

The main thing is that our citizenship is in heaven and this world is doomed and rapidly winding up for the tragic end. Some say just let it happen as it is inevitable. I say much tragedy in human history could have been avoided had Christians not been so laid back and not been either hopelessly naive or impotent.  The spiritual destruction of the country of Lebanon would be a prime example.  I believe we need to act and be proactive and aware of Satan's schemes.  We need to pray hard, pray aggressively, and work for the good of all.